Rachel and Nicholas stole away to the Gatlinburg area for a private wedding just for the two of them. We made it all the way through the ceremony and most of the wedding photography before it started to rain. As most of you know, the Great Smoky Mountains have been inundated with raindrops this year! However, we didn't let that stop the fun for the photography.

Rachel has has a face that wedding photographers simply die for. I think she also looks like the character Anne Boleyn from the show, "The Tudors."

Erica and Bradley are on their honeymoon in Rome as I write this blog post. They were married at my mother's cabin (Starkey's Cabin) on September 19th accompanied by a close circle of their family and friends. From the very beginning Erica made their devotion to God and their goal of traveling the world as missionaries very clear.

Immediately following the wedding ceremony, Erica and Bradley paused beneath the tall trees for a moment alone with God. Their family kept their distance, respecting this wish and saying their own prayers for the couple as well. It was a quiet, reflective moment that I am thankful for being allowed to photograph.

The signature art theme for Erica and Bradley includes a map of the world, a book on Rome I found while photographing the girls getting ready in the cabin, and an image of prayer. Of course, the photograph of them walking along the road adjacent to the cabin had to be included as well, because "All roads lead to Rome," you know!

Melissa and Chris will be married at Honeysuckle Hills on November 7th this year. They are one of our local Smoky Mountain couples, and one of the most important things about their life and relationship is their tattoos. It's one of the ways they express themselves artistically.

My daughter drew some flames to match Melissa's tattoo and to gently frame their intimate pose. This is my favorite engagement photograph all year.

Chris is a very protective husband to be and father, and so I enjoyed creating this black and white image of them as well.

And since they're both so "out of the box," we experimented with some poses that show Chris' devotion to Melissa as well.

I'm looking forward to their wedding...it just can't get here soon enough!

Darlene and Tim were married on the magical day of 09-09-09. It's not uncommon for our brides to book their Smoky Mountain weddings up to a year in advance, so Darlene and I were able to communicate with each other for quite some time before the wedding. I was able to talk with Tim quite a bit, too.

Tim and I got into mischief. We arranged for a gentleman to be present to "object" at the appropriate moment during the ceremony. Before you catch your breath, keep in mind that it is common for Darlene and Tim to play practical jokes on one another...and I was more than happy to join in! Our good friend, Ian, played the part of the "wedding crasher," running across our bridge at the designated moment yelling, "What about Myrtle Beach? Wait! What about ME?" Truly hilarious...with much animated laughter following this display!

Tim has a favorite Playboy Cigar box that he likes to "keep Darlene." I suspect there is a very private, inside meaning for this metaphor. However, I was more than happy to create a signature art collage with Darlene and the box.

I can't wait to see Darlene's photographs on Facebook from the REAL honeymoon trip to Myrtle Beach!

Wow. What an incredible year it has been so far at Honeysuckle Hills! As many of you may have noticed, we have not been as diligent posting blog stories for 2009, especially since the addition of our facebook page at www.facebook.com/regina.woods. Despite the slow economy, we have been blessed with a multitude of clients who realize the importance of commissioning a true, professional photographer to capture the most important moments of their life. These days it seems there are "photographers" on every corner slinging a camera in "P" mode, and selling their images on CD at ridiculously low prices. That's A-OK with me. Those photographers realize the value of what they're selling to you, and they also know they will never have to deal with you again. I think it is also safe to say that they care very little about whether or not they deliver quality images or if you are happy with the results.

The number one request at Honeysuckle Hills this year has been our signature art themed images. There is a unique story behind each and every one, and I have been on a natural high all year getting to know all of you! These art pieces fill my life with variety, and put a smile on my face every single morning.

Heather and Jerry love The Wizard of Oz movie so much that she even has a yellow tree skirt on her Christmas tree to represent the yellow brick road. After their wedding, a quick change of clothes and the addition of ruby red slippers, I photographed them in the field by our barn. Thank goodness the tornado wasn't really there! I love Photoshop...

Natalie and Kevin sell gore costumes for a living, on top of Natalie's nice hobby of roller derby. Can you imagine running into her on skates weilding a hockey stick over your head?! Natalie scheduled an engagement session with us the day before her wedding, and I photographed them in the graveyard of my church while Bible school was going on. (Don't worry, they all know me well and just rolled their eyes...) Naturally, this image isn't for everyone, but it meant a great deal to Natalie and Kevin because it reflects an aspect of their life that is extremely important to them.

I look forward to sharing even more of these stories with you on the blog...and maybe even your own!